Utah State Office
| Contacts: | Russell von Koch | , 435-259-2100 |
BLM Initiates Notification and Comment Period for New Camping and Group Use Fee Areas Near Moab
The Bureau of Land Management is initiating a six-month notification period as a step toward charging fees for the planned Moab Skyway Group Site and the Entrada Bluffs, Bartlett and Courthouse Rock camping areas in the Moab Field Office.
If implemented, BLM would collect overnight use fees from future campers as well as user fees and a site reservation fee for the proposed group site. Fee collection would start upon installation of planned improvements and completion of the six-month notification period. All sites would meet Recreation Enhancement Act facility and service requirements.
The Moab Skyway Group Site is on newly-acquired BLM property within Moab City limits, and would be available for non-overnight group use. Fees charged for use of the group area would include a $3 per-person use fee, with a $100 minimum fee for private users and a $200 minimum fee for event registration and other similar uses, along with a $15 non-refundable site reservation fee.
Initial fees for use of the Entrada Bluffs, Bartlett and Courthouse Rock individual camping sites would be $8 per vehicle per night.
The Moab Skyway Group Site and the Entrada Bluffs Camping Area are within the Colorado Riverway Special Recreation Management Area, which includes twelve similar existing fee sites. The Bartlett and Courthouse Rock areas are located within the Gemini Bridges/Labyrinth Rims Special Recreation Management Area. The Moab Office currently operates 28 camping areas and 11 group sites.
These notification and comment periods implement actions required by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (Public Law 108-447) and the Interagency Guidelines for Public Involvement in Establishing Recreation Fee Areas of September 28, 2005. The Notice of Intent to Collect Fees was published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2009.
Comments regarding this proposal should be received by the Bureau of Land Management, Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532 or momail@ut.blm.gov prior to February 5, 2010. For more information, please contact Russ von Koch at 435-259-2118 or the above address.
BLM welcomes public comments on this proposal. Before including an address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information, be advised that the entire comment – including personal indentifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While commenters can request that personal identifying information be withheld from public review, such requests cannot be guaranteed.
The BLM manages more land - 253 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Utah State Office 440 West 200 South, Suite 500 Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155